How artists lived under the Franco regime, the Chinese student revolt which unravelled into the tragic events in Tiananmen Square, the fall of the Berlin wall and classical music’s place in contemporary society are but a few of the focal points of Leonora Milà: The Intuitively Talented. This documentary zooms in on the artistic career and life of Leonora Milà, a vastly talented pianist and composer who performed in the Palau de la Música Catalana at the age of six and London’s Royal Albert Hall at thirteen. Milà is also remembered as becoming the first Spanish artist to perform in the People’s Republic of China, in 1979, and the first female composer to premiere a ballet in St Petersburg, in 1994; a work based on the 15th century chivalric romance Tirant lo Blanc.

Yet this documentary also affords particular prominence to events which now form part of 20th century history and which Leonora Milà  experienced firsthand. Through virtually never-before-seen archive images, performances and interviews from thirty-odd salient members of the world of culture, society and politics, this production offers a fresh perspective on our most recent past. Shot in Barcelona, Beijing, Gandia, Paris, Madrid, Oviedo, Vatican City, St Petersburg and Vitoria-Gasteiz, Leonora Milà: The Intuitively Talented is an entertaining, fast-paced documentary, informational and apt for all audiences, for music buffs and for anyone interested in current events, history, international politics and journalism wielded with rigour and a critical eye.

Leonora Milà: The Intuitively Talented is an El Far Blau and Catalonia Television co-production and was broadcast by Canal 33 on December 9, 2008. The culture and society magazine Serra d’Or subsequently gave its readers and subscribers a free DVD of the documentary along with its special April edition. This gift formed part of the 50th anniversary celebration of Serra d’Or’s founding, which took place in 2009.

Film Crew
Director: Bernat Deltell
Script: Bernat Deltell, Jordi Castañeda
Executive Producer: Bernat Deltell
Director of photography: Carles Castro
Artistic director: Carles Castro
Production manager: Claudia Lazuen
Production assistant: Aïda Ventura
Design director: Àlex Soteres
Editor: Jordi Escofet
Assistant director: Aïda Ventura
Sound technician: Joan Montserrat
Camera operators: Carles Castro, Jordi Escofet and Sergi Vicente
Camera assistants: Xavier Arcas, Jordi Aynerich, Joan Mestres, Jon Beer, Miquel Alcázar and Roger Vicente
Opening/closing sequence, credits, background and effects: Artrivity disseny
Narrators: Marta Prat, Josep Almirall, David Miró, Peter Law